


Step by Step

by yonastar



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon, light spoilers (royal)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24524107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yonastar/pseuds/yonastar
Summary: It was that night, watching Yusuke cut and distribute cake with music in his laugh, that Akira first thought, “I want to marry him.”
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Kitagawa Yusuke, Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 9
Kudos: 102





	Step by Step

**Author's Note:**

> This one's for all the remaining shukita stans out there. You guys are the real mvps. ;v;

“You’re gonna what?!” Ryuji shouts, slamming his hands on the table and half-rising out his chair. “For real?!”

“Ryuji!” Ann hisses, tugging on his arm. “Sit back down, you moron!”

“Sorry.” Ryuji looks sheepish as he takes his seat. He rubs his neck as the other patrons of the restaurant slowly return to their own conversations. “It’s just… Wow, you really gonna ask Yusuke to marry you?”

Akira nods, stirring a piece of beef in his ramen broth. “Yeah. But I have no idea how to do it.”

“So you’re asking us?” Ann blinks. She laughs and shakes her head. “All I know about proposals comes from movies.”

“You guys have known Yusuke just as long as I have,” Akira interjects. “If anyone can help, it’s you two.”

“What about Morgana?”

Akira scowls. “That traitor. He’s gotten lazy. And fat. Yusuke gives him too many treats and now he follows him everywhere he goes.”

“That’s kinda adorable.” Ann giggles.

Ryuji sighs. “Man, I can’t believe you’re gettin’ married and shit. Feels like just yesterday we got thrown into Kamoshida’s castle.”

Akira smiles. “It was seven years ago, but I know what you mean.” He drums his fingers on the table. Since the Phantom Thieves, life changed but it’s been no less exciting. He returned home, finished high school, and moved back to Tokyo for university with Yusuke at his side through all of it.

Yusuke jumped into an art major with a full scholarship. His name was so well-known by his third year that universities sent  _ him  _ offers. By some stroke of luck, and with letters of recommendation from a certain prosecutor, Akira was accepted to a modest university. When Yusuke heard which college Akira attended, he loudly declared that fate had made his decision for him and accepted an offer for the same school. It made Akira nervous at first, but Yusuke was happy with the art department and with their little apartment. It took time for Morgana to get used to sharing with Yusuke for Akira’s time, but soon he was shepherding them both to their classes or hissing at Yusuke until he abandoned his paints and went to bed.

“He’s awfully pushy,” Yusuke muttered one night, crawling into bed with dried paint on his cheek. Akira lowered his phone to rub it away. “Was he always like this?”

Morgana jumped onto Akira’s chest, knocking the breath out of his lungs. “Akira! Are you playing Twitter? I thought you were asleep already!”

“You don’t play Twitter,” Yusuke pointed out.

“Don’t start with me, Fox.” Morgana spun in a half-circle, paws kneading at Akira’s chest, until he found a suitable spot and laid down. He casted a glare at Yusuke. “You’ll get sick if you push yourself too hard.”

Yusuke rested his head on Akira’s shoulder, eyes already closing. “You’ll never know when inspiration will leave you. You have to act while the emotion is still fresh, or you may never capture the same response again.”

Morgana huffed. “Please, our living room is practically stuffed with your canvases. You could do with a little less,” he yawned, “inspiration and a little more dish-washing.”

“Such noise for so little a creature. You really are…” Yusuke trailed off.

Akira looked down at them, both fast asleep and curled into him. He smiled, shoving his phone under his pillow and placing one hand on Morgana’s head while the other rested on Yusuke’s waist. It was a strange little family they’d knit for themselves, but Akira wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Classes were much more demanding than high school. Yusuke seemed to have little trouble, as he had a clear goal in mind, but Akira had no idea what he wanted to do for a career. He thought his future was shot the moment his name was printed on a police record. As he drifted through his first year, he toyed with several possibilities. Yusuke helped, reading brochure after brochure of each department, tugging him around each career fair with a smile. It felt nostalgic, a mirror of the time Akira helped Yusuke find inspiration for a painting.

“It’s because you’re the wild card,” Yusuke said one evening where Akira was feeling particularly dejected. He draped himself across Yusuke’s lap, eyes shut as Yusuke ran his fingers through his hair. “You have so many talents, it almost feels wasteful to have to choose one path right now. Still, there must be something that allows you to bring the best of yourself to the surface.”

“The best of myself?” Akira repeated.

“Yes. Your charm, your kindness, your intelligence, your courage - they’re all valuable assets. We must find a way to apply them to a job that does not involve stealing hearts.”

Akira laughed. “It’s too bad. We sure made a lot of money as Phantom Thieves.”

Yusuke hummed, tracing a thumb across Akira’s cheek. “Money is well and good, but we both know success is measured by something else entirely.” He rested a hand over Akira’s heart. “You taught me that, actually. I believe that whatever you choose, you will succeed. So you just need to find what captures  _ your _ heart.”

Akira considered his boyfriend’s words.  _ You taught me that, actually. _ “Well, I think I’d like to work with people. Help them.”

Yusuke nodded, eyes shut with a serene smile. “Yes, you’ve always been there to help us when we needed it most.”

“When we needed it most,” Akira repeated again. He thought of Maruki. Despite how things turned out, Akira really did feel as though his counseling sessions helped him. And he wasn’t alone - even Yusuke had praised Dr. Maruki’s considerate methods. To be able to give solace or insight to kids that were going through something similar, that sounded pretty nice. He sat up.

“Akira?”

Akira turned, meeting Yusuke’s confused gaze. “What if I became a counselor?”

“A counselor?” Yusuke raised his eyebrows. “Yes, I think that suits you perfectly. You’ve always had a kind heart and helpful insight.” He smiled. “You’d certainly help many people. Dare I say, you may be able to still change some hearts. Only, perhaps, not in as literal of a sense as Dr. Maruki.”

Akira beamed. “You really think so?”

“I know so.” Yusuke took Akira’s wrists in his hands. “In fact, I can personally vouch for your skills. You’ve helped me far more than you realize. Nothing would make me more proud than to see you continue to be a guiding light.” He frowned. “So long, of course, as you don’t ignore your own troubles. Oh!” He raised their hands. “I suppose that’s where I can help you.”

“Yusuke,” Akira whispered and brought their lips together in a quick kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” His hands rubbed comforting circles on Akira’s back. “I believe we’ve made some fantastic ground tonight. We should celebrate.”

Akira smirked, leaning back to put his body on display. He let his hands rest on Yusuke’s stomach. “Yeah?”

“Yes.” Yusuke’s eyes widened. “Oh! Sushi! My treat this time.”

Akira deflated. Still, a fond smile remained fixed on his face as he embraced his boyfriend. “That sounds perfect.”

The next day, Akira spoke with his faculty advisor and officially joined the psychology department, on track to enroll in its masters program for counselling. The longer Akira studied, the more certain he became that he wanted to do this as a career. It was a good time in their lives: Yusuke had found a steady stream of inspiration and garnered a good following while Akira obtained his masters and found his footing.

Akira’s time was divvied up between work, the occasional request from Sojiro and Futaba to help out in Leblanc, and attending Yusuke’s galas. It was getting increasingly harder to smuggle Morgana into the exhibits, but not all of Akira’s training as a Phantom Thief had dulled with time. It was actually rather fun to sneak into his own boyfriend’s shows, surprising him with a bag full of flowers and cat hair.

Buyers were becoming more frequent as Yusuke’s reputation grew. Yusuke rarely let his art sell, but their apartment could only hold so many canvases and Yusuke slowly became more comfortable letting go. Though it certainly helped, the money didn’t make a difference to Akira. Like Yusuke had said, success was measured in other ways.

Occasionally, the name Madarame would still appear from the crowd. A journalist looking for a baity headline, a curious enthusiast wanting more details, a sympathizing critic wanting to express late condolences. Though Yusuke never wavered in front of the public, Akira knew it took its toll on him.

“It’s been so many years,” Yusuke whispered after one particularly rough show. He stared at an old painting, done before Akira knew him. “And yet the art world hasn’t seemed to have forgotten him. They focus more on his malice than true art.”

Akira stood quietly at his side. Morgana was asleep in his bag. His light snoring seemed loud in the empty exhibit room. Akira carefully readjusted the weight off his shoulder, setting the bag on the floor, before cutting the distance between them and threading their fingers together. “Madarame doesn’t get to show them anything, but you do. You get to show them the truth. If they’re really listening, they’ll see it through your art.” He squeezed Yusuke’s hand. “Don’t stop talking.”

Yusuke sighed, head falling forward. “As always, you’re right. Madarame’s control won’t reach me, no matter how indirect it is. I won’t be silent. I won’t stop painting.”

Akira beamed. “There’s my Fox.”

Graduation came like a sudden summer storm. Akira graduated with high honors and with a job lined up at a public counselling center connected to a hospital in Tokyo. Though his own parents were unable to make it, he couldn’t find it in himself to be upset when he heard familiar voices shout out when his name was called. Futaba’s voice rang above the others,  _ “Looking cool!” _ and Akira managed to spot them in the crowd.

Next to Futaba sat Sojiro, dressed far more formal than Akira had ever seen him, and smirking with his arms crossed. Beside him was Yusuke, clapping politely and long hair in a braid. On his lap was a familiar bag with a pair of black ears sticking out.

After the ceremony, Yusuke surprised him with a celebratory party. All the ex-thieves were there, including Sojiro, who brought along enough curry to fill Akira and Yusuke’s fridge for a week. “Just make sure you don’t let it go to waste,” Sojiro said gruffly. “That boyfriend of yours still looks a little too skinny.”

Akira grinned. “Don’t worry. I feed him.”

Sojiro looked Akira up and down then crossed his arms with a crooked smile. “Well, it’s good to see you finding your place in the world. I’m proud of you, kid.”

Akira froze. It was ridiculous. He was twenty-three. A grown adult himself. Yet Sojiro’s words still meant a lot to him. He smiled. “Thank you, Sojiro,” he said. “For everything.”

“Bah.” Sojiro waved him off. “Listen to me. I sound like a Hallmark card. Go enjoy your party. Everyone’s dying to see you.”

The party was one of the best nights of Akira’s life. It had been a long time since everyone was together like that, just having fun and with no pressure from school or work. Sojiro left early, claiming not to want to be around when things got too rowdy. Futaba promised to save him a piece of cake before challenging Ryuji to a game of dares. Makoto and Haru were the judges while Ann assumed the role of referee.

It was that night, watching Yusuke cut and distribute cake with music in his laugh, that Akira first thought,  _ “I want to marry him.” _

A few days later, as Akira got ready for his first day of work, Yusuke brought him a packed lunch and a kiss on the cheek. Akira later found an encouraging note in the bento box and again the thought struck him.  _ “I want to marry him.” _

When he woke up to see Yusuke’s bedhead, when he watched him paint while simultaneously trying to watch a documentary on polar bears, when he listened to Yusuke later on talk about polar bears over the remains of Sojiro’s curry, it was all Akira could think about. He couldn’t imagine spending his life anywhere else.

But he had no idea how to propose. Yusuke deserved something unique, something meaningful and beautiful. It couldn’t be something as overdone as going to an expensive restaurant and hiding it in a champagne flute. So he texted Ryuji and Ann. And now he sits in a ramen shop, watching his best friends express their excitement over Akira’s news.

“I mean, how many high school sweethearts actually end up getting married?” Ann asks.

“Eh, I can’t say I’m surprised.” Ryuji shrugs. “This guy makes it a point to overcome impossible odds.”

“Which is exactly why,” Akira interrupts, “I need to find the perfect way to ask him.”

“Well,” Ryuji tilts his head to one side in thought, “would it be super corny to send him a calling card?”

“Huh? A calling card?” Ann blinks. “Akira’s already stolen his heart though.”

“It would certainly get his attention.” Akira hums. “Yusuke was the one that designed most of the cards, though.”

“Dude. You’re forgetting who it was that made the OG Phantom Thief calling card!” Ryuji stuck out his chest proudly. “I can do it no problemo!”

“So we send a calling card telling Yusuke to meet Akira where?” Ann rests her cheek in her hand. “Is there a place that’s special for you guys?”

“Uh.” Akira considers his options. “Our first date was at the planetarium. He bought me star stickers.” He folds his hands in front of his face. “The boats at the park. Leblanc. There’s quite a few that could work, but all of them seem kind of obvious.” He sighs. “I want it to be something he’ll never see coming.”

Ann lights up. “Maybe we’re thinking about this the wrong way. Instead of revisiting your past, maybe you should show him something new, something you can both experience for the first time. That seems like a pretty good way to ask someone to think about sharing your futures together.”

“Whoa, you know what?” Ryuji nods. “That sounds pretty good. Yusuke’d be totally into that, too. He likes travelling.”

“Yeah. Too bad I just started a new job, though.” Akira groans. “There’s no way we could go somewhere nice until I work up to getting some vacation time.”

“So just a day trip, then? There are loads of places to explore in Japan, and it’ll be easy to get there and back in time for your nine-to-five.”

“Who would’ve thought the leader of the Phantom Thieves would end up a married salaryman?” Ryuji shakes his head. “Life has changed, man.”

Akira ignores the jab, but he agrees with the sentiment. Life is certainly different than when they were teenagers, but he’s learned that that’s okay. More than okay, really. He doesn’t have to let go of that rebellious spirit or give up his ideals just because he’s older and working. He’s still himself, with or without the mask, and he knows Yusuke feels the same. “Well, I have some ideas to work with, at least,” he says. “Thanks, guys. I can take it from here.”

“Go get ‘im, Tiger!” Ann winks. “Not like there’s a chance he’ll say no, but, still.”

“Oh, oh! Who’s going to be your best man?” Ryuji leans forward. “C’mon, it’s gotta be me, right? I mean, I practically was the one who hooked you guys up!”

“That’s just so not true,” Ann argues.

“Is so! Akira came to me for advice after he realized his big gay crush and I told him about the planetarium! The rest is history.”

“Akira would’ve asked him out either way,” Ann says. “Besides, if Yusuke hadn’t gotten inspired to paint me, they never would’ve even met! So, in a way, it was me.”

“You guys are getting too heated over this.” Akira leans back in his chair.

Ann and Ryuji shrug. Akira is still grateful for both of them, because they’re both right. Without Ann, Yusuke might have never crossed their paths. Without Ryuji, Akira might have never acted on his feelings. Both of them deserve to be in his wedding. He’ll have to figure out a way to convince Yusuke -- Why is he thinking about this right now?

“So, do you need help ring shopping?” Ann asks. “We could go after this, even.”

“Oh. Uh. About that.” Akira turns pink and leans down to fish in his bag. It’s almost odd not to feel Morgana swatting at him as he grabs a small velvet box and puts it on the table. “I already bought one.”

“What!?” Ryuji slams the table and rises out of his seat again. “Dude, you’re serious about this!”

“Ryuji!” Ann yanks him back down. “You’re gonna get us thrown out before I finish eating, now stop!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Why are you so surprised?” Akira frowns. “We just talked about how I was going to ask him and you offered to be in the wedding.”

“Yeah, I know that, but…” Ryuji gives a sheepish chuckle. “I suppose it’s still sinkin’ in. I mean, we’re really growin’ up here!” He sniffles suspiciously. “Dammit.”

“Oh, boy.” Ann shakes her head and hands Ryuji a napkin. “He’s not dying or moving to America, you know. You’ll still see him all the time.”

“How do you know? This is just the first step. First, they’re getting married. Next, they’re looking at suburbia. Then, they’ve got kids and poof.”

“Poof?” Akira wrinkles his nose. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. I’m not going poof. Even if we decide to have kids, it’s not like you guys won’t be…” Akira’s eyes widen. “If we have kids…”

“Oh, great, you broke him!” Ann crosses her arms and glares at Ryuji.

_ “Kids.”  _ Akira’s hand goes to his hair. “Is that something Yusuke wants? I never considered it. What if he wants to adopt? What if he  _ doesn’t?” _

“Akira,” Ryuji mutters, looking guilty.

“Hey, c’mon,” Ann says.

“I mean, can we really be parents? I’m an ex-convict and Phantom Thief. That’s not exactly dad material!” Akira’s hands slide down to his cheeks. “Do schools still do parent-teacher meetings? What if my kids--?”

“JOKER!” Ann shouts, startling him silent. “Take a deep breath.” Akira does. “Okay, let’s worry about one thing at a time. Right now, you’re just getting engaged.”

“Yeah.” Akira shakes himself. “You’re right.”

“Heh. I’ve never seen you freak out like that before.” Ryuji scratches his cheek. “Sorry.”

“I guess it is a big deal,” he relents. “Getting married, I mean. It just feels right, like we were always building up to it.”

“Sap.”

“Romantic.”

Akira grins. “Guilty as charged.”

.

When he returns home, Yusuke and Morgana are watching a documentary on butterflies. Morgana is perched on the back of the couch, licking his back leg. Yusuke has his iPad draped over his lap, hand moving in short strokes and attention switching between it and the TV. He’s wearing one of Akira’s hoodies, a tad too small for him, and a pair of reading glasses that Akira made him buy after spending so many hours squinting at the screen. “Hey,” he calls from the hall, toeing off his shoes.

Yusuke drops his head over the arm of the couch and gives him an upside down smile. “Ah, welcome home. How were Ann and Ryuji?”

“They’re doing good. Ryuji’s working on his athletic training certificate and Ann’s got her modeling career. Oh, Ann and Shiho are moving in together, too.”

“That’s good to hear.” Yusuke turns to properly look at Akira as he approaches. Akira kneels down to drop a kiss. He thinks of the box sitting in his bag and goes for a second kiss. Then he thinks of parent-teacher conferences and adds a third that makes Yusuke chuckle.

“Oh!” Morgana’s ears twitch. “Yusuke, that one butterfly is back!”

Yusuke’s attention is immediately drawn back to the TV. “Oh, the red one? Let’s try this again, then.”

Morgana glares at the butterfly on the screen, tail twitching and nails carving into the sofa. “Better hurry.”

“What are you guys doing?” Akira glances between them.

“I’m trying a new mental exercise,” Yusuke explains as his hand starts moving again. “I want to see how accurately I can paint a subject from a brief glance. Testing my memory. Or my perspective, perhaps. So far, there have always been minor differences between the butterfly that I see in my memory and the one I see on screen. Two different images from one moment.”

Morgana’s head follows the butterfly until he blinks and shakes his head. “Ah, I’m getting dizzy.”

Akira gives him an affectionate scratch on the chin. “That sounds kinda interesting. How many times have you tried?”

“Six.” Morgana yawns. “He’s gotten better.”

Akira shrugs off his coat and tosses it on the chair. “Can I see?”

“Not yet,” Yusuke mutters, eyes flashing. “I need to focus.”

He smiles. “I’ll go make some coffee, then.”

A few minutes later, Akira returns with two mugs of coffee. He places one down on a coaster for Yusuke then taps his legs, which temporarily move so that Akira can sit down before returning to their previous position. Akira rests a hand on Yusuke’s calf, mindlessly tracing circles as he takes a sip and tries to get interested in the narrator’s monotone explanation of butterfly migration. Yusuke loves to learn, loves trying new things, and Akira loves that about him, but he really doesn’t get how Yusuke decides on what topics to learn about. It’s eclectic and non-sequitur. Not following a real pattern and instead just passing whims of a curious mind. Akira glances at Yusuke from the corner of his eye. He looks happy, glasses sliding down his nose and hair pulled into a messy bun and nodding whenever Morgana shouts that the red butterfly is back again. Akira wants to marry him.

He smiles behind his mug, feeling a rush of energy not unlike the kind he felt after securing a treasure route and successfully infiltrating a Palace. Joker has a plan, and it’s time to set it into motion.

**Author's Note:**

> Things that no one can take away from me: counselor Akira and long-haired Yusuke :')
> 
> Expect the actual proposal soon, probably!!


End file.
